Edhat Reader
By Daniel K. Simon
Dear Honorable Mayor Rowse, Honorable City Councilmembers, Ms. Burich, Mr. Adair and City of Santa Barbara:
Our Santa Barbara beaches are among our most valuable assets. They define our City and our lifestyle.
Sometimes cities go ahead with a project without truly understanding the needs of the primary users. To serve the community is to listen to its needs. The public appreciates the opportunity to be heard (and listened to when they make good sense) and to contribute to making the Leadbetter Restroom Renovation a better solution for everyone.
Please know that the currently proposed Leadbetter Beach facility renovations would take away more than they would give. Please do not relegate the enjoyment by the Many of this public space by narrowly responding to the Few engaging in lawless behavior.
There are other ways of addressing the need to be in conformity with required ADA additional changes, and ways to try to minimize the harm done by a few in the way of littering, defacing and alcohol and drug and other criminal activity. The proposed changes throw the proverbial beachbabies out with the tainted oceanwater.
As a longtime community member and and almost daily user of this facility, I see by whom and how this area gets used. Not only regulars, but classes, tourists from foreign countries, travelers up and down Highway 101 touring California, as well as more local out-of-towners, families from inland places like Santa Ynez, Buellton, Bakersfield, Santa Paula, and many, many other places come in droves in the summer to ‘beat the heatdown’ and need a place to rinse off and change.
We hope that by underscoring the significance of this actually very functional place and the surpassing simple but superior functionality of the existing design, that the proposed renovation ought to be re-examined and the frankly, more wholesale gutting be chucked in favor of tasteful, relatively inexpensive but ADA compliant and helpful changes be made so that the structures on the South, East and West side of building remain in their useful place.
Specifically, I request that the following remain in place to continue to serve the beach going public: the South side’s angled wind walls with its six spaced water-saving shower heads, plus the two separate foot wash outlets, the central seating area, along with outdoor but private changing areas on the East and West sides of the building which enable the diverse groups who use the beach to shower, change and socialize with a sense of warmth, protection and semi privacy.
As was mentioned at the public discussion of the proposed project, other less drastic measures than abolishing the changing areas would be to add locking gates like the current ones to the bathrooms, which would prevent unwanted night activities in the changing areas. Spikes or another layer of brick could make climbing the walls untenable.
Sure, make the necessary ADA compliant bathroom stalls and pole shower installation, but leave the existing protective walls and spaced shower heads in place for the rest of us! And yes, a few patches and touch ups to the fifty-year old brick wall would be inexpensive and wouldn’t hurt!
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration on this one.
By Carol Shaw
The City seems “full steam ahead” with a ten year old plan to renovate the Leadbetter Beach bathhouse. Laudably, the toilets will be ADA compliant.
Unfortunately, the two shower walls; foot wash, and the central seating will be demolished along with the changing area. The City cites incidents of lawless behavior as its rationale.
Those promoting this plan do not seem to realize why this facility as currently designed serves the public so well. During the Winter holidays, it is difficult to get a true reading of the plan’s deleterious impact.
At least 150 students who register for SBCC swimming and surfing classes use the bathhouse. The classes usually accommodate 20 students at a time. At the end of class, they need to shower off, change, and get to their next class.
When children attending summer day camps leave the beach, counselors can keep their groups together and supervised. It serves beach going families the in the same manner.
The ocean swimming and surfing communities appreciate and enjoy the existing design. It is a necessity for those among us who do not have access to basic amenities.
The walls provide protection from the elements. Ample spacing of the shower heads allows multiple people to rinse off simultaneously. The changing area affords needed privacy. The central seating under the palm tree is ideal to stow gear nearby for use and in plain sight while showering. The wall and the seating helps those who are not so steady on their feet get in and out of their wetsuits. It is an informal town square where we can socialize and create community. Two column showers are a poor substitute.
I would urge the City’s deciders and the greater Santa Barbara community to re-examine this plan, and proceed in a civic-minded and thoughtful manner that preserves what serves us.
Op-Ed’s are written by community members, not representatives of edhat. The views and opinions expressed in Op-Ed articles are those of the author’s.
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So, sounds like people don’t want the shower area removed? I agree. Just because some criminal activity takes place at a facility, you don’t just shut it down. You figure a way to keep it available to the public while making it safer and deterring such activity. Same reason you don’t shut down all IV beaches for fear of some Deltopia parties making a mess. POLICE the activity, don’t just take it away from everyone. It’s so lazy and easy to just take things away. Make the effort to keep it.
https://www.change.org/p/preserve-leadbetter-beach-walls-changing-areas-santa-barbara?recruited_by_id=c7b09d50-b67a-11ee-bcae-ff59029193fb
there is no bad activity happening there. i use that restroom as does my daughter almost daily. Shes 16 and feels perfectly safe using it. we have used the restrooms and showers for YEARS after surfing. The wall and shower heads need to stay and the waterfront director, Mike, needs to resign. That guy has done nothing good for the water front aside of collecting his 6 figure paycheck on our dime.
A LOT of locals use these showers after swimming and surfing. Their new design is ridiculous. Made by someone that wouldn’t use them anyway.
This place is also used heavily by patrons at the grill next door.
I was in there last night at 9pm. Totally fine, empty.
https://www.change.org/p/preserve-leadbetter-beach-walls-changing-areas-santa-barbara?recruited_by_id=c7b09d50-b67a-11ee-bcae-ff59029193fb
^ This. Don’t let the bad actions of a few ruin a useful good thing for all. That’s giving them too much power.
It does seem like this was designed by someone that doesn’t actually use the facility. The showers and foot washes are very useful. One thought is to get rid of free parking right in front of the building. There always seem to be some dilapidated RVs parking there all day with people stumbling between their vehicle and bathrooms.
Many international tourist destinations charge a nominal fee to use public restrooms, and often an attendant is employed to maintain the facility. Just as some US grocers have begun using locking shopping carts, it’s time to copy solutions that have worked for other countries.
As a (woman) runner, I use that restroom quite often – sometimes very early in the morning. Although I understand that some illegal activities occur there, I will say that I have never witnessed any, nor have I ever felt threatened there. I know that being homeless is akin to being a criminal in this town, but for heaven’s sake, to deny a person a shower because it makes you uncomfortable is just immoral, imho. I have seen plenty of families and tourists also use the facility, including the showers. I agree with those who suggest that a facelift would be helpful. But taking away all humanity from those who don’t have a safe place to shower is not going to solve a problem that the City should be working on by other means.
https://www.change.org/p/preserve-leadbetter-beach-walls-changing-areas-santa-barbara?recruited_by_id=c7b09d50-b67a-11ee-bcae-ff59029193fb
Is it too late to stop the city from going forward with their plan? Will there be another hearing?
I’m an ocean swimmer and use the Leadbetter facilities regularly, year round. I can tell you the wind protection provided by the walls makes a huge difference, especially in the winter. And, the private changing area is appreciated.
The City/Harbor dept asked for input, received it, and is now totally ignoring what has been said..
it’s insulting to all of us who spend a lot of time at the beach.
Why can’t they fix up the few loose bricks on the walls, update the bathroom, and put gates on the changing areas. That should solve all the problems.
https://www.change.org/p/preserve-leadbetter-beach-walls-changing-areas-santa-barbara?recruited_by_id=c7b09d50-b67a-11ee-bcae-ff59029193fb